ChatGPT As a Therapist? New Study Reveals Serious Ethical Risks

Source: Science Daily - Social Psychology As millions turn to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots for therapy-style advice, new research raises a serious red flag: even when instructed to act like trained therapists, these systems often violate ethical standards of mental health care. In side-by-side evaluations with peer counselors and licensed psychologists, researchers found 15 distinct ethical risks—from mishandling crises to biased responses to "deceptive empathy" that mimics caring.